Yoke for draft-animals



' B. L. JOHNSON. YOKE FOR DRAET, 'A1\I IMALS.

(No Model.)

Patented Oct. 30, 1883.

N. PETERS. Pymmliflvagnplm. Wnhingtm n. c

.UNITED STATES PATENT Orrr cn.

EDWIN JOHNSON, or SHUTESBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

'YOKE FOR DRAF T-ANl MALS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of letters Patent No; 287,682, dated October so, 1883.

' Application fi1edMa1'ch14,1883. (Nomodelm To all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, EDWIN L. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Shutcsbury, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Yokes for Draft-Animals, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. I

My invention relates to that class of hitch ing devices for draft-animals in which the latter are made to drawwithout the use of any harness other than collars and draft-tugs.

It consists of a set of uprights adjustably united together by metallic recessed bars to form hames, and of certain stiff yokes or beams which loosely unite-said hames through the medium of certain V-shaped truss-bars and intermediate bifurcated'clevised bars, said Stiff yokes or beams being held together by a suit-' able" draft-beam, all of which will be fully set forth hereinafter.

I In my drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevaition of the device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line x x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end elevation of. one of the hames, showing more clearly the truss-bar O and the bifurcated and clevised bar H.

in all of the figures.

Similar reference-letters indicate like parts Referring to drawings, A represents the uprights which form the hames, which in the main are made of wood, preferably. These uprights are of double ogee form, somewhat similar in appearance to ordinary horse-hames, excepting that instead of narrowing at the bottoms they spread slightly. Ashort distanceabove the bottoms of these uprights are inwardlyprojecting points, which are curved to con-- form to the bottoms of the collars to which the said uprights are to be applied. Shallow oftsets a extend inward from the general contour of the uprights a portion of their vertical distance, which are intended to fit neatly into the grooves of the collars.

B B are metallic recessed bars slotted at opposite ends, which, together with slotted V- shaped bars .G O and bolts D, unite and secure the upper and lower ends of the uprights A. The V-shaped bars 0 O are made open, for lightness of construction, and at their angles are provided with collars adapted to receive bolts E.

F F are yokes formed of wood ,and mounted Bifurcated and clevised bars H are loosely united, respectively, to bolts D of the V-shaped ,bars 0 O and hinged pieces G.

Ii's a beam provided with loops Za,which en= gage corresponding loops, d, fixed centrally in the yokes F. Said beam I is provided also with a bolt, e, which may be adjusted vertically in a slot, f and clamped to posit1on on said beam between washers ff by nut g.

It will beobserved that the uprights which form the hames, by means of their upper and lower adj usting-bars and the bolts which unite the said bars and uprights, may be made to fit any collar of medium, maximum,'or minimum size.

It may be further observed'that by means of the uniting-yokes the animals will always be kept, during their work, relatively together, although by means of the peculiar connections between the said yokes and the V-shaped trussbars, said connections being practically universal joints, fullcompensation is provided to give most advantageous liberty to the independent movements ofthe animals yoked together. A simple chain serves to connect the animals to the implement to be drawn,and a shallow or rank hold will be given to the latter by simply lowering or raising the bolt to which said chain is attached. a

' I am aware that hames for draft-animals have been used connected by combined horizontal and. upright beams,which,when adjusted, serve to keep the animals relatively together, and to such, broadly, I make no claim. Having thus described my invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the hames adjustably united by suitable bars, substantially as In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in

described, of the V-shaped truss-bars C C, the presence of twowitnesses,this 5th day of March bifurcated and clevised bars H, and suitable 1883.

yoke and beam connections, as and for the pur- 5 pose set forth. EDWIN L. JOHNSON.

2. The c0inbinati0n,With hame-nprights A,

of the bars 13 B, truss-bars O O, bifurcated "Witnesses:

and olevised bars H, yokes F F, and the beam JAMES GRINNELL,

I, all arranged substantially as and for the pur- H. L. BARNARD.

1o pose set forth. 

